catisland

By the time the sun sets today, the work will be finished.

The paint has dried, the cement has hardened, and the final touches on the mausoleums are being completed.

Tomorrow, a grieving Cat Island community will gather to say goodbye to two young women whose friendship began in childhood and will now be remembered.

Nineteen-year-old Stania Webb and 17-year-old Diamond Stubbs, best friends since they were girls, will be laid to rest side by side in two newly completed mausoleums, a final resting place built by family and an entire community.

Their funerals come just weeks after the devastating Shirley Street crash that claimed the lives of five teenagers, leaving many struggling to make sense of the unimaginable loss.

For Stania’s father, the decision to build the mausoleums was about creating a place where love and memories could continue—where he could return on birthdays, holidays or ordinary afternoons to sit quietly, leave a rose and simply say hello.

“I wanted just to put something there in the cemetery where I could come back,” he said. “You know, sit down or drop a rose and be able to know exactly where she is… some days I just might want to come and say hello.”

As he grieved, he found himself drawing strength from those around him. His sons worked beside him, laying blocks and helping bring his vision to life, while neighbours arrived carrying food and cold drinks.

Others mixed cement, lifted materials and volunteered their time without being asked.

It was a community determined to carry one family through its darkest days.

Artist Anderson Williams added the finishing touches, carefully painting and detailing the two mausoleums that now stand side by side—a tribute to a friendship that survived every stage of childhood and adolescence until tragedy brought it to an abrupt end.

Between the two structures sits a flower garden, a simple reminder of two lives forever connected.

Those who knew Stania and Diamond remember a friendship that never faded.

Even after Stania left Cat Island for college, every trip home meant time spent with Diamond.

They laughed together, supported one another and picked up where they had left off.

On Saturday, that friendship will be honoured one final time.

For Cat Island, it is the closing of a painful chapter that has united neighbours, families and friends in grief, compassion and acts of service.

Photo credit: Yontalay Bowe-Kirkendall

For many people, Diamond Stubbs was a smile, and a young woman whose future seemed wide open.

She was preparing to leave the Bahamas to continue her education in the United States. She had just achieved one of the highest honours of her life — becoming the 2026 Valedictorian of Old Bight High School — and was preparing for the next chapter at Florida Memorial University.

But in the early hours of Sunday morning, that future was suddenly taken away.

Diamond was one of four young women who lost their lives in a tragic car crash on Shirley Street after the vehicle carrying eight passengers struck a tree.

And as family, friends, educators and community members grieve, they are remembering how she lived.

Those who knew Diamond describe a young woman who carried herself with purpose— a leader.

The Key Club Bahamas District remembered her as a “dedicated servant and a true champion,” highlighting her commitment to leadership, kindness and making a difference in the lives of others.

“Her impact will not be forgotten,” the organisation shared, describing the legacy she leaves behind as one of service, compassion and excellence.

At Old Bight High School, Diamond was described as a bright light and a young woman whose smile reflected the character she brought into every room.

Sargeant Eugenia Hepburn who serves on the island, remembered her as a scholar and a shining example of leadership and purpose.

“Diamond was a bright light, a shining example of excellence, leadership and purpose,” Hepburn shared.

“There are no words strong enough to express the pain we feel.”

Diamond was recently honoured with the 2026 Honours Day Scholarship Award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Eta Psi Omega Chapter, recognised for her commitment to education, community and her future.

Senator D’Asante Small described her as someone who embodied: “excellence, leadership, humility and promise.”

Perhaps one of the most emotional reminders of Diamond’s life came just days before her passing.

On Father’s Day, Diamond stood at the front of Highway Church of God and sang: “I Love You Lord.”

Her father, Damien Stubbs, sat among the congregation watching his daughter.

Her cousin Myz Phillipp called her: “A gem, our diamond.”

Yuwonka Lfrance remembered her as a smart, beautiful and talented young woman.

Cat Island and South and Central Andros are preparing for the full implementation of a 14-day lockdown on Monday night at 8pm, as announced by Prime Minister Hubert Minnis on Sunday.

Why it matters

These islands are experiencing a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases according to health officials, where health teams are presently trying to manage the recent outbreaks and conduct contact tracing.

On Andros, nine new cases were reported in a single day

On Cat Island there are 33 active cases of the COVID-19 virus. 109 residents are in quarantine.

Seven of 13 people under investigation, tested positive on Sunday. The island has a positivity rate of 58 per cent. Seven persons were airlifted to New Providence for urgent medical care, and 6 people remain hospitalized.

The big picture

This follows the 14-day lockdown of Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands which was placed under a 14-day lockdown which began Saturday, to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus in those communities.

The cases in the Berry Island were believed to be originated from a recent church event.

Minnis said on Sunday that the country “must contain the spread of this virus on Bullocks Harbour and Great Harbour Cay, where there are 24 active cases of the COVID-19 virus.”

The Details

• Travel, to and from Cat Island, and North and Central Andros, is prohibited during the lockdown, except for essential workers (Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, healthcare professionals, Bahamas Power and Light technical personnel), mailboat and Seacorp operators, and commercial bank personnel, or as, otherwise approved by the Competent Authority.
• There will be no in-person activities permitted, including no burials held. Every agency, business or establishment, shall remain closed, except for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Government Community Clinics, and COVID-19 vaccination sites.
• No individual, other than an essential worker, shall leave his or her place of residence, for any purpose other than, for  the purpose of seeking urgent medical attention, to go to a vaccination site, or on prescribed days, to purchase food, water and other essential items.
• Food store owners, will be allowed to restock their stores, after the arrival of the  mailboat, and the Seacorp. Food stores, may be opened for two days, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. after the mailboat has arrived. Residents may leave their homes, to go to the food store during the two days, immediately following the arrival of the mailboat only.
• Farmers are permitted to water their crops, between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Subsistence fishing is permitted.
• The respective commercial banks, may reload their Automated Banking Machines. Gas stations, may open on Fridays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for government agencies only. Customs and Immigration, will be able to fulfil their duties as needed. Security guard services, will be permitted.
• Hotel workers carrying identification, will be permitted to traverse, to and from their places of employment.
• Harvesting of crabs during the lockdown period, is permitted from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Featured Picture: BIS–Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and Health Advisor Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis at Sunday’s press conference.